Anette On Education

Dr. John Horn, a long-time educator, talks educational leadership, values, and so much more with Anette and her co-host, David Anderson. Anette met John through his work with both the Schlechty Center and the Visioning Institute, and has always valued his expertise and wisdom. A former superintendent in both Allen and Mesquite, John brings a wealth of wisdom and perspective to the importance of educational leadership, and how to keep growing as a leader.

Texas Parent PAC Co-chair Julie Cowan discusses the importance of advocacy for public education and how this organization helps build support for good policy at the Texas Legislature.

Julie was an elected trustee on the Austin ISD school board in 2014-2018, and she was secretary of the board. During her board tenure she was president of the Central Texas School Board Association and a member of the Texas Association of School Boards Legislative Advocacy Council. She also served on the Austin Ed Fund Board and currently serves on the United Way and Austin ISD PreK Partnership advisory board. Previously, Julie was president of the Doss Elementary PTA, Murchison Middle School PTSA, and Anderson High School PTSA, as well as their campus advisory councils. Julie also was vice president of the Austin Council of PTAs and served on many district-wide committees, including the 2008 inaugural class of AISD UpClose, the 2008 Citizens' Bond Advisory Committee, 2007 and 2008 Budget Task Forces, 2009 ELA AP/IB Textbook Adoption Committee, and the 2008 Middle School Strategic Plan Task Force. Professionally, Julie has held positions as a legislative aide in the Texas House of Representatives and as a physician and community relations specialist at multiple Texas hospitals. She most recently worked as a school improvement facilitator at Anderson High School. In the community, she was president of the Travis County Medical Alliance and co-chair of the St. David's Foundation Alliance. Julie attended Southern Methodist University where she earned a BA in political science, BFA in public relations, and a lifetime secondary teaching certificate in the subjects of government and journalism. An active member of St. Theresa Catholic Church, Julie has taught religious education, vacation bible school, and currently serves as a Eucharistic Minister. She and her husband, Dr. Rob Cowan, have three children.

Anette, along with co-host David Anderson, discusses the process of how a bill becomes law, or doesn't, with former legislative insiders Kyle Mauro, Nelda Hunter, and Kelly Barnes. All these knowledgeable folks are now at Hillco Partners, and help explain the complicated process our legislators must follow to create our laws. Find their bios below.

David D. Anderson

David Anderson joined HillCo Partners in 2003 and represents the interests of the firm’s clients at the Texas Legislature and with various state agencies.

David is widely recognized throughout Texas for his expertise in public education policies and issues. Formerly the Managing Director for Curriculum at the Texas Education Agency (TEA), Anderson has expertise on a wide range of education policy issues. Prior to his work at TEA, David spent eighteen years in the educational publishing industry, including sixteen as a regional vice president for three publishers. He was a teacher and school administrator in Austin ISD and worked in an administrative role in both Killeen ISD and ESC 13 early in his career.

Since joining HillCo Partners, Anderson has worked with numerous clients in the educational arena, including the Texas School Alliance, the Texas Fast Growth School Coalition, and several Texas independent school districts. His client schools enroll more than three-fourths of the students in Texas and he has developed relationships with school leaders in a variety of positions and in every corner of state. David also works with Raise Your Hand Texas, THSCA, and TASBO. He has advised non-profit and private sector clients about the pursuit of state, regional, and local contracts and helped develop agreements between private sector entities.

As an advisor to school leaders on a myriad of topics, David has developed keen insights into economic and program needs in Texas public schools. Superintendents, senior level district administrators, and school board members rely on his advice and recommendations as important financial and program decisions are made in school districts across the state. His in-depth experience in a variety of roles makes him a valued consultant for school leaders in Texas.

Over the course of his career, Anderson has earned the respect and goodwill of key decision-makers in Texas public education, as well as among the members of both Houses of the Legislature and the State Board of Education.

Kelly Barnes

Kelly Barnes, who joined HillCo Partners in 2019, focuses on assisting the firm’s clients in various important areas of public policy.

Barnes worked for six years in the Texas House of Representatives, prior to joining HillCo. He served as chief of staff for a State Representative, where he helped guide many pieces of legislation all the way to the Governor’s desk. The office Barnes worked in possessed the highest bill passage rate of any other House office during the 84th legislative session.

Prior to working in the Texas House, Barnes was a government affairs consultant for the Texas Association of Business (TAB). While at TAB he assisted hundreds of companies and local chambers of commerce to improve the state’s economy, workforce, and quality of life.

Barnes also worked in Washington, DC as a legislative aide for a U.S. Congressman from Texas.

Raised in Austin, Barnes received a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Spanish at Texas Christian University (TCU), and a Master’s degree from George Washington University. He lives in Austin with his wife.

Nelda Hunter

Nelda Hunter is a consultant at HillCo Partners and works primarily in the areas of state budget and fiscal policy, as well as health and human services.

Hunter has over fifteen years of experience working within Texas government, and her various roles provide her with a wealth of perspectives on legislative process, budget and policy development, and state agency operations. She served as Director for the House Committee on Appropriations while simultaneously serving as Chief of Staff for Chairman John Zerwas, M.D. While overseeing the development of two state budgets, Hunter also led the advancement and passage of several statewide policies, including a constitutional amendment to extend and fund the Cancer Prevention & Research Institute of Texas, and a bill that repealed the widely unpopular Driver Responsibility Program and that reconfigures and preserves trauma funding for the state’s hospitals. She recently volunteered her time and expertise to the Governor’s Strike Force to Open Texas, which is focused on responding to the novel coronavirus. Hunter was honored for her legislative work by several groups, including the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACSCAN), the Texas Association of Community Health Centers, the Coalition of Texans With Disabilities, and the Texas Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs.

Hunter received her Master of P...

Maybe the first actual interview I did over a year ago when first learning through The Podcasting Fellowship, listen to the ever-interesting Craig Constantine. He was one of our All-Star helpers for newbies like me, and a generous contributor for the class and beyond! A student of Art du Déplacement, podcaster, blogger, avid reader, casual mountain-bike cyclist; Programmer, system administrator, problem solver, we connected in discussion about Aikido. You can learn much more about Craig and the Movement scene at the links here:

His website.

More about Craig.

Movers Mindset.

Anette visits with Patti Everitt about charter schools in Texas. They explore how charters operate and are funded in Texas, the systems and protocols in place to approve them, and the increasingly concerning growth in number of charters and tax dollars spent on them.

Patti Everitt is a consultant on state education policy with a focus on the impact of charter schools on public education. She collaborates with many statewide education organizations, school districts, and parent groups to increase understanding about how charter schools operate and to make charter schools more transparent. Patti has worked with national and international foundations, school districts, and nonprofit organizations to develop innovative education and employment programs for youth. She is a graduate of public schools, and her son attended Austin ISD from K – 12.

The link to the San Marcos testimony can be found here.